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SYLLABUS Course Description

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SYLLABUS Course Description

BIS 300: Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies

CRN

Fall 45313/Spring 16065

Credits 3 credit hours

Prerequisites None

Description

This course is an introduction to the concepts and methods of interdisciplinary study through critical examination of anticipated workplace and civic trends in the global environment. Using a multicultural focus, we will look at ethics and decision-making in contemporary society. Emphasis is placed on development of critical and analytical thinking skills, as well as written and oral communication. Key ethical questions will be addressed from a variety of perspectives both past and present as a basis for informed decision-making.

Department

Interdisciplinary Studies

College or School

College of Arts and Sciences

University Mission

As a regional Carnegie Master's I university located in Cleveland, Mississippi, Delta State University serves as an educational and cultural center for the Mississippi Delta, emphasizing service to the Northern Delta counties and its campus centers in Clarksdale and Greenville.

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Course Objectives Goals

Students taking this course will:

 Students will identify current ethical challenges in science, education, business, government, and in their various communities;

 Students will study ethical concerns (and interactive effects) at the individual, group, community, nation, society, and global levels;

 Students will develop an awareness of personal values, the diversity of values held by others, and the process of moral/ethical inquiry and decision-making;  Students will develop critical thinking skills by bringing multiple perspectives to

bear on particular ethical dilemmas and issues and by using reflection, logic, evidence, and well-chosen examples to support positions or arguments

 Students will enhance their speaking and writing skills in exploring ethical issues, making decisions, and presenting conclusions to others. Students will also

demonstrate effective oral communication skills in a variety of personal and professional situations, both formal and informal, using the appropriate technology;

 Students will gain an appreciation of the diverse perspectives of the disciplines represented in classroom enrollment and /or reading assignments, and of the ways in which they complement and/or contradict one another;

 Students will develop the ability to synthesize the perspectives of the various disciplines represented;

 Students will gain an appreciation of culturally-diverse perspectives by comparing and contrasting beliefs and practices.

Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:  articulate what interdisciplinary studies are and are not  articulate their traits and skills as an interdisciplinarian  integrate various disciplines

Grading System

I use the following grading system:

Letter Quality Points Description

A = 90-100 4 = Excellent

B = 80-89 3 = Good

C = 70-79 2 = Satisfactory

D = 60-69 1 = Poor

F = below

60

0 = Failure

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carry no quality points; the hours are included in calculation of the quality point

average. An "I" must be removed within a period of twelve months. This twelve month requirement does not apply to theses, dissertations, and other research or practicum courses, which can award the grade of IP (in progress).

Grading Methology and Opportunities

Please familiarize yourself with the grading methodologies and criteria listed below. The course assignments will receive the following weights:

Quizzes 10%

Exploratory Papers 20%

Discussions 10%

Elevator Speech 20%

Traits and Skills Paper 20%

Intellectual Autobiography 20%

Assignment Descriptions Assessments

Quizzes will be based on the readings and syllabus.

Exploratory Readings

Objective: In these assignments you will answer questions about the chapter to demonstrate that you have read and have a basic understanding about the chapter. It is also an opportunity to pose questions about the chapter by detailing what you didn’t understand about the chapter in the “muddiest point” section.

Audience: Write for yourself as well as the instructor.

Main point and purpose: To answer basic questions about the chapter, pinpointing difficulties in reading comprehension before delving deeper into the chapter’s contents.

Pattern and procedures: Attach a file with the questions, which are listed below, and their answers in short answer form. Name your file like this: Last Name_ExCh6.doc or .docx

Standards and criteria: Your answers should demonstrate an understanding of the chapter’s content through correct answers. Your answers should also demonstrate an ability to write coherent, grammatically correct sentences in an academic tone. See the rubric below for more criteria.

Exploratory Reading

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Exploratory Reading

Criteria Ratings Pts

Question 1 view longer description Exceeds Expectations 5 pts Meets Expectations 4 pts

Does Not Meet Expectations 3 pts 5 pts Question 2 view longer description Exceeds Expectations 5 pts Meets Expectations 4 pts

Does Not Meet Expectations 3 pts 5 pts Question 3 view longer description Exceeds Expectations 5 pts Meets Expectations 4 pts

Does Not Meet Expectations 3 pts 5 pts Question 4 view longer description Exceeds Expectations 5 pts Meets Expectations 4 pts

Does Not Meet Expectations 3 pts 5 pts Question 5 view longer description Exceeds Expectations 5 pts Meets Expectations 4 pts

Does Not Meet Expectations 3 pts

5 pts Total Points: 25

Discussions Discussion 1

The discussion allows you to interact with your classmates.

Audience:

Your classmates and the instructor.

Main point and purpose:

The discussions are designed to engage your thinking about the readings as well as your interaction with other students in the course. Discussion comments should be courteous, thoughtful, and carefully formulated.

Pattern and procedures:

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Standards and criteria:

Your paper will be evaluated based on the rubric below.

Discussion Post

Exceeds Expectations - Makes substantive comments Meets Expectations - Makes some substantive comments

Does Not Meet Expectations - Does not make substantive comments or does not post at all

Response to classmates

Exceeds Expectations - Makes substantive comments on two classmates’ posts or responses

Meets Expectations - Makes some substantive comments on one classmates’ post or response

Does Not Meet Expectations - Does not make substantive comments or does not post at all

Discussion 2 Audience:

Your classmates and the instructor.

Main point and purpose:

The discussions are designed to engage your thinking about the readings as well as your interaction with other students in the course. Discussion comments should be courteous, thoughtful, and carefully formulated.

Pattern and procedures:

At the beginning of the semester you were asked how Chapter 1 broadened and/or clarified your understanding of interdisciplinary studies as an academic field. I'd like to reflect now on how the course has broadened and/or clarified your understanding of interdisciplinary studies as an academic field. Review what you wrote in Discussion 1 and reflect on the course as a whole.

Please post at least 250 words in answer to the question first, cite the text and be

objective. Do not regurgitate the text. Your analysis is wanted, not feelings, opinions or emotion. Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts. WARNING - merely agreeing with their post is not a response. Objectively analyze your classmates’ response to the question and respond to their posts. Use the text to back up your 250 word post and your responses to classmates.

Standards and criteria:

Your paper will be evaluated based on the rubric below. Discussion Post

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Meets Expectations - Makes some substantive comments

Does Not Meet Expectations - Does not make substantive comments or does not post at all

Response to classmates

Exceeds Expectations - Makes substantive comments on two classmates’ posts or responses

Meets Expectations - Makes some substantive comments on one classmates’ post or response

Does Not Meet Expectations - Does not make substantive comments or does not post at all

Elevator Speech – What is Interdisciplinary Studies? Audience:

The audience for this assignment is broad – you need to define/explain/defend

interdisciplinary studies to general audience that includes employers, and/or community members.

Main point and purpose:

To succinctly define/explain/defend interdisciplinary studies to a broad audience.

Pattern and procedures:

The idea is that during a 3 minute elevator ride you define/explain/defend

interdisciplinary studies to a stranger. Use the text to help you formulate your definition of interdisciplinary studies, its benefits, etc. Film and post a video in which you

define/explain/defend interdisciplinary studies to a general audience. You may enlist a friend to act as the stranger or you can just speak to the camera.

Your video should be a minimum of 3 minutes, not exceed 4 minutes, be your own work, contain concepts about interdisciplinary studies that Repko mentions, be audible and visible, and not contain inappropriate language.

Standards and criteria:

Your paper will be evaluated based on the rubric below.

The video is visually clear

Exceeds Expectations – video is well-lit, faces are visible Meets Expectations – video is lit, faces are mostly visible

Does Not Meet Expectations – video is poorly lit, faces cannot be seen

The video is audible

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The video contains concepts about interdisciplinary studies that Repko discusses in his text

Exceeds Expectations – the definition of interdisciplinary studies is succinct and complete (key concepts are included)

Meets Expectations – the definition of interdisciplinary studies is mostly complete (key concepts are included)

Does Not Meet Expectations – the definition of interdisciplinary studies is incomplete (key concepts are not included)

The video meets the 3 minute minimum

Exceeds Expectations – the video meets the 3 minute minimum Meets Expectations – the video is 2:30-3 minutes long

Does Not Meet Expectations – the video is less than 2:30 minutes or longer than 4 minutes

Traits and Skills Paper

The Traits and Skills Paper helps you understand which interdisciplinarian traits and skills you possess and how you could obtain others.

Audience: Write for yourself as well as the instructor.

Main point and purpose: To demonstrate which traits and skills of an interdisciplinarian you possess.

Pattern and procedures:

Review the traits and skills that are associated with interdisciplinary education in Chapter 2, pages 58-63. Which do you possess? Give a concrete example to demonstrate how you possess the trait or skill. For example, if you have an appreciation of diversity, how is that evident? Do you travel to foreign places? Do you speak other languages? Do you advocate for a minority group of which you are not a member? Do you cook ethnic foods or like to try different ethnic foods? How does the trait or skill and the example lead to a deeper understanding? Simply stating that you have a trait or skill is not enough. Could you obtain some of the skills that you do not possess? How? While this paper is about you, be objective. Remember to use proper grammar, spelling, citing (yes, you must cite) and formatting techniques. Write a minimum of 500 words. Attach a file with your paper. Name your file like this: Last Name_Traits and Skills.doc or .docx

Standards and criteria: Your paper will be evaluated based on the rubric below. Student demonstrates an understanding of the traits s/he possesses.

Exceeds Expectations – Student gives a concrete example for each trait s/he possesses Meets Expectations – Student gives a concrete example for only some of the traits s/he possesses

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Student demonstrates an understanding of the skills s/he has.

Exceeds Expectations – Student gives a concrete example of how s/he has used each skill s/he has

Meets Expectations – Student gives a concrete example for only some of the skills s/he has used

Does Not Meet Expectations – Student does not give concrete examples for the skills s/he has used

Structure and organization – (title, thesis, body, conclusion) Exceeds Expectations: Clear, coherent

Meets Expectations: Adequately clear, and coherent Does Not Meet Expectations: Paper poorly constructed

Editing – grammar, mechanics, transitions

Exceeds Expectations: There are no major grammatical errors or typos Meets Expectations: There are a few major grammatical errors or typos

Does Not Meet Expectations: There are many major grammatical errors or typos which make it difficult to follow the paper’s argument

Resources cited

Exceeds Expectations: APA/MLA citation style used correctly and consistently

Meets Expectations: APA/MLA citation style used adequately correctly and consistently Does Not Meet Expectations: APA/MLA citation style not used correctly and

consistently

Intellectual Autobiography Audience:

Write for yourself and the instructor.

Main Point and Purpose:

The intellectual autobiography is to help you understand your path as an

interdisciplinarian. This is about you as a scholar - what drives you, what interests you, how do you envision your future and how will learning get you there

Pattern and Procedures:

Please read the sample intellectual autobiography that is posted below to get an idea of what you are supposed to do. Write a minimum of 750 words plus title page and plus the works cited page.

Additional considerations:

 Avoid including your birth date and details of your childhood unless they have a bearing on your scholarly life. Avoid talking about parents or family unless they have a bearing on your scholarly life.

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interests you, how do you envision your future and how will learning get you there; use the traits and skills Repko talks about in Chapter 2.

 Be clear. This paper is about reflection and articulating to others how you are an interdisciplinarian. Use concrete examples to explain your statements.

 Title your intellectual autobiography – try for something catchy that still conveys the overall message of your paper

 You will need a reference page because, at the very least, you will be citing Repko’s book

 Have fun! You still need to respect the rules of grammar and spelling but you can be more creative with this particular paper. But make sure that you cover all the aspects that are assessed in the rubric.

Standards and Criteria: Refer to the rubric below

Audience is able to determine the purpose of the work via the introduction Exceeds Expectations – the introduction clearly outlines the paper

Meets Expectations – the introduction somewhat outlines the paper Does Not Meet Expectations – the introduction does not outline the paper

All major elements that have a bearing on the author’s worldview or affinity with interdisciplinary studies are present. These include but are not limited to: place and date of birth; upbringing and early education; academic interests; influential ideas; hobbies, pursuits; worldview (politics, social concerns, etc.); interest in particular “big idea”; traits and skills of an interdisciplinarian already identified

Exceeds Expectations – All elements of the above criteria are included Meets Expectations – Most of the elements of the above criteria are included

Does Not Meet Expectations – Few of the elements of the above criteria are included

Structure and organization – (title, thesis, body, conclusion) Exceeds Expectations - Clear, coherent

Meets Expectations - Adequately clear, and coherent Does Not Meet Expectations - Paper poorly constructed Editing – grammar, mechanics, transitions

Exceeds Expectations - There are no major grammatical errors or typos Meets Expectations - There are a few major grammatical errors or typos

Does Not Meet Expectations - There are many major grammatical errors or typos which make it difficult to follow the paper’s argument

Resources cited

Exceeds Expectations - APA/MLA citation style used correctly and consistently

Meets Expectations - APA/MLA citation style used adequately correctly and consistently Does Not Meet Expectations - APA/MLA citation style not used correctly and

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Instructor Policies

No make-up quizzes or extra-credit work if you miss any assignments or your grade is low.

Missed, incomplete, late assignments or those that do not follow the assignment instructions automatically receive a zero.

Power outages, computer or drive failures, etc. are not excuses to miss or hand in assignments late. The Roberts-LaForge Library has a computer lab and most public libraries have computers available for patrons.

Canvas Course Management System

It is the student's responsibility to configure his/her computer to fully take advantage of Canvas. For instructions follow the guidelines on the opening page of Canvas. If the student is experiencing difficulties with the course management system, he/she must contact Canvas to resolve the issues. Issues with Canvas are not an excuse to hand in assignments late. The Canvas Helpdesk number is x4444 (on-campus), 662.846.4444 (local) and 1.866.264.1465 (toll free) and the email address is helpdesk@deltastate.edu.

Academic Policies

Students should familiarize themselves with university policies, and particularly those that govern academics and student affairs at Delta State. The policies that are likely to affect students in this course are listed below.

Attendance and Participation

Delta State University maintains standards for class attendance and absence. Students are responsible for adhering to the policy. Students must attend a minimum of 75 percent of all scheduled classes and activities.

Students taking fully online courses or online courses with minimized face-to-face meeting times or residencies will not attend a physical class regularly or at all. However, online students are required to check the course site regularly, participating in the daily work of the course. At a minimum, students should log in twice a week. Students demonstrating little or no activity within the first three weeks of the course may be dropped from the course as a No Show. Additionally, students who do not actively participate in class through discussions/forums and assignments will be "cut out" after three weeks of non-consecutive inactivity or missed activity

Absences and Excuses

Each student is directly responsible to the individual instructor for absences and for make-up work missed. For additional information on absences generally excused by the university, consult the official policy statement in the university policy manual.

Cheating and Plagiarism

Cheating and plagiarism are not tolerated. If it is established that a violation has occurred, instructors may determine the penalty, and should report the offense to the

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or paper in question. A second offense by any student will be reviewed for more stringent action and will usually result in suspension. Any additional offenses will usually result in expulsion from the university.

Graduate students who cheat or plagiarize will receive a grade of zero (0) for the

assignment and may receive a grade of "F" in the course. Instructors report the offense to the division/department chair, the student’s advisor and/or program coordinator, the Graduate Office and the Office of Academic Affairs. A second offense by any student will result in dismissal from the university. Plagiarism in a Delta State University graduate thesis/dissertation will result in denial or removal of the degree, and the person will be denied admission to or be expelled from subsequent degree programs at Delta State University.

Abuse of Computers and Network Systems

All members of the Delta State University community must use electronic

communications in a responsible manner. The university may restrict the use of its

computers and network systems for electronic communications, in response to complaints presenting evidence of violations of other university policies or codes, or state or federal laws. Specifically, the university reserves the right to limit access to its networks through university-owned or other computers, and to remove or limit access to material posted on university-owned computers. The university reserves the right to limit access to its networks through university-owned or other computers, and to remove or limit access to material posted on university-owned computers.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Delta State University is committed to a policy of equal employment and educational opportunity. Delta State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. This policy extends to all programs and activities supported by the University. Contact the ADA Officer in the Counseling Center at the O.W. Reily Student Health Center for more information or accommodation.

College Identification

All full-time and part-time students enrolled in six or more hours are given a combination identification-activity card, also known as the Okra Kard, bearing their photograph and student identification number. These cards are important because they will identify a student when borrowing books from the library, making purchases in the bookstore, purchasing a parking decal, cashing authorized checks, gaining admittance to food services, meal plan tracking, a pre-paid debit account and all student activities and athletic events. The identification card has a monetary value because it is a prepaid ticket to all athletic events (other than GSC and NCAA tournaments where Delta State is a host site) and many social events.

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Required Texts

Repko, Allen F. (2012). Interdisciplinary Research: Process and Theory, 2nd ed. Los Angeles: Sage.

A copy of the text is available at the Reserve Desk of the Roberts-LaForge Library so that students can complete assignments until their copy arrives or is purchased.

Recommended Texts

A good dictionary and thesaurus.

Note: Students are encouraged to make textbook purchases at the DSU Bookstore in the H.L. Nowell Union Building on campus or online.

Additional Materials

You need a web camera and headset to participate fully in the online course.

Computing Requirements

view longer description

References

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